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Help with numbers

Wonder if there is a quick way to number things without having to type the number every time.

I have to number 250 fire alarm points on a drawing, from 1 -> 250 in a circle witha number in the middle, is there a quick way, or a lisp program so i dont have to keep copying pasting then changing the text to the right number......

is there a way to copy paste from 1, to 2, and the number changes automatically?

Glen Smith's Computer Details

Operating System:

Win XP

Computer:

Dell Studio XPS 1645

CPU:

Intel i7 Q720 @ 1.6Ghz

RAM:

8 Gig

Using

Electrical 2010

Join Date

May 2008

Location

Cary, NC

Posts

418

If I may offer an alternative, I would create a FIRE_ALARM_POINT block with an attribute in the middle of it. Place them all over your drawing where you want them. You can set the numbers as you enter them if you want, but what I do is get them everywhere I want them with the default place holder value, then qselect them and export the attributes. Open the csv txt file in Excel, number them, then DELETE THE COLUMN containing the block handle. Save the file as a txt file. Now import the attribute file - AutoCAD is slightly confused since it has a bunch of attributes to assign to a bunch of blocks, but It does not know which attribute to put on which block. So AutoCAD asks if you want to manually assign them, select yes, then watch the command window. The set of block attributes will display and you click on the block that you want to assign it to. Repeat 250 times.

If you screw up in the middle and put 123 where you wanted 124, just assign 124 where you wanted it, WRITE DOWN THE NUMBER you mixed up, and come back after the others are done and fix it individually.

I use this method for assigning door numbers in secure buildings, since the numbers may not increment regularly. The other reason is that now you can get accurate counts more quickly on your drawing. Qselect your FIRE_ALARM_POINTS block and AutoCAD will tell you how many of them there are. You can add model numbers, location and other data to your block.

Hope this helps.

Glen

“Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." Lazarus Long in Time Enough For Love